Meijer's New Store to Open Sans Single-Use Bags

Woodward Corner Market, which opens Jan. 29, is the largest tenant of the Woodward Corners by Beaumont, a commercial development in Royal Oak, Mich.

When Meijer's second smaller-format urban store opens Jan. 29 in Royal Oak, Mich., one grocery staple will be missing. Woodward Corner Market will not offer single-use plastic or paper bags at checkout, offering two alternative reusable — and 100% recyclable — plastic bags for purchase. These bags are third-party verified to be used up to 125 times before needing to be replaced.

Customers are of course encouraged to bring their own reusable bags as well.

"Meijer is committed to lessening our impact on the environment, and we saw an opportunity to reinforce that commitment by not offering traditional single-use plastic bags from day one at Woodward Corner Market," Store Manager Natalie Rubino said. "We understand this is not a common practice, but we believe this is the right move for this community and our customers."

The two different types of reusable bags available for purchase are:

The 10-cent bag: The low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bag is made from 80% post-consumer recycled content. It's 100% recyclable through the plastic-bag recycling containers in the front of the store. The bag is white and features the Woodward Corner Market logo on one side and recycling details on the other.
The $1 bag: This black LDPE bag is made from 80% post-consumer recycled content and 20 percent pre-consumer recycled content. It's 100% recyclable through the plastic-bag recycling containers in the front of the store. This bag is thicker and features the Woodward Corner Market logo on one side and, in a nod to the Woodward Dream Cruise, a car driving down Woodward Ave. on the other side. That image will also be featured inside the market.

Meijer first revealed plans for Woodward Corner Market in August 2019, with more details on the 41,000-square-foot store with a focus on fresh food emerging last month. The grocer plans to open six small-format stores by 2021.

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer operates more than 240 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The company is No. 7 on Progressive Grocer's 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.